Renault: Has Luca de Meo changed his mind regarding the price of his electric models?

Between Tesla which continues to lower the price of its various models, notably the “smallest” (Model 3 and Model Y), and the Chinese brands which are arriving in Europe with products with up-to-date performance and challenging prices. any competition (we are thinking in particular of MG), it is not easy for European manufacturers to find a place, particularly in the electric car market. Logic would dictate that they follow the policy of the first city but most have spoken out on the subject in recent months to make it known that it was useless to expect such a gesture from them, arguing in particular that it would have an impact negative on margins. A certain Luca de Meo, director of the Renault Group, said at the very beginning of the year that lowering the prices of zero-emission models was not “healthy”. As we suspected, however, it was only a matter of time before he took his turn.

The Scenic cheaper than the Megane

We told you at the time of its presentation, the first price of the Scenic should be around €40,000. According to information from our colleagues at RTL quoting Luca de Meo himself, it could even be “below 40,000 euros”. A priori, since the zero-emission Megane is offered from €38,000, we are tempted to think that the SUV (and no longer MPV) will not do better, even surely a little worse. This forgets that in the entry-level finish, the compact is equipped with a small battery with a capacity of 40 kWh. On the Scenic, it’s a minimum of 60 kWh and a range exceeding 420 km (WLTP mixed cycle) when the Megane at 40 kWh tops out at 300 km. However, a 60 kWh Megane starts at €42,000. In other words, the Scenic is more attractive than the Megane.

The range logic is not respected. Since it is some 27 cm larger than the sedan (4.20 m for the latter) and therefore logically offers more, it should be more expensive. The fact that it was decided to tighten prices clearly shows that Renault cares about its pricing policy and has studied the competition very closely.

And potentially well placed against the competition

Obviously, we must remain cautious until the first prize has been officially shared. If we still rely on this range nevertheless, note that the Scenic would also be very aggressive against the competition. A Hyundai Kona, of a lower range and equipped with a smaller battery (48 kWh, 377 km) costs at least €40,850. With its largest battery (65 kWh, 454 km to 514 km range), you have to pay at least €44,250. From the same group, a Kia Niro EV with characteristics closer to the Scenic costs €45,640 with a 64 kWh battery and slightly higher power (204 hp compared to 170 hp for the first price Scenic).

Base price quite similar to the Niro for the Tesla Model Y (€45,990) in its propulsion variant given for 455 km of autonomy. Note, however, that the American is much more bulky (4.75 m) and therefore more habitable (with a gigantic trunk of 854 liters and an additional trunk of 117 liters at the front, compared to 545 liters “only” for the Scenic ). While its charging power is higher: 170 kW compared to 130 kW for the Diamond SUV. In summary, hesitation is allowed but the lower list price (psychological argument for some) could make the difference for the latter, at least on the French market.

What this shows in any case is that manufacturers are required to match the prices of Tesla and Chinese brands, whether they like it or not. In France, the Mégane E-Tech Electric has sold some 11,277 copies since the start of the year. This is good but, at the same time, twice as many Model Ys have been registered (22,423 units). With its prices visibly better studied, the Scenic could achieve better performance.

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